Hanzi Writer

How to Write 自 (zì) — Meaning “self; from”

zì HSK Level 2 6 strokes Radical: 自

自 (zì) means "self; from" in Chinese. It has 6 strokes with the radical 自, and is HSK Level 2.

Rated 2/5 in difficulty (beginner-friendly).

Harder than 8% of HSK Level 2 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 自己 (zì jǐ), 自动 (zì dòng), 自由 (zì yóu).

In the Hanzi Writer app, most learners master 自 within 3 practice attempts using stroke-by-stroke animation.

Stroke order practice for 自 - zì

Practice Writing 自 (zì)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 自 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 自

The character 自 (zì) is written with 6 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 自 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does zì (自) Mean in Chinese?

自 means self; from.

As an HSK Level 2 character, 自 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character自
Pinyinzì (zi)
Meaningself; from
Strokes6
Radical自
HSK Level2
Difficulty2/5

Origin of 自

The character 自 originally depicted a nose, with the top stroke representing the bridge and the lower part showing nostrils. In ancient Chinese, people would point to their own nose to refer to themselves, so the nose came to mean 'self' or 'from' (as in originating from oneself).

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine a profile of a face with a prominent nose (自) and think, 'This nose belongs to me, myself.'

Common Words with 自

自己 zì jǐ
oneself; self
自动 zì dòng
automatic; voluntary
自由 zì yóu
freedom; liberty; free

Example Sentences

我自己去学校。

wǒ zì jǐ qù xué xiào

I go to school by myself.

这是一个自动门。

zhè shì yí gè zì dòng mén

This is an automatic door.

鸟儿在天空自由飞。

niǎo ér zài tiān kōng zì yóu fēi

The bird flies freely in the sky.

Stroke order practice for 自 - zì

Practice Writing 自 (zì)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 自 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

App Store ▶ Google Play

Frequently Asked Questions about 自

自 is a pictograph that originally depicted a nose. The shape shows the bridge and nostrils, and because people often point to their nose when referring to themselves, the meaning expanded from 'nose' to 'self'.

More HSK Level 2 Characters

啊a/ā/á/ǎ/à情qíng安ān静jìng全quán色sè/shǎi长cháng/zhǎng办bàn法fǎ公gōng室shì夜yè助zhù饱bǎo报bào纸zhǐ背bēi/bèi如rú笔bǐ必bì

Characters with Radical 自

臬niè臭chòu/xiù臱mián臲niè

Other 6-Stroke Characters

㐆yǐn㓞qià丞chéng丢diū乑yín乒pīng乓pāng乔qiáo乩jī买mǎi